Black Gold

If there were two resources that have made Texas what it is today it would be oil and natural gas. In fact, if Texas were a country (many already think it is) it would be the 12 largest oil and gas producing country in the world.
For the last decade the United States has been on a mission to increase the amount of oil and gas produced in the North America and decrease the amount imported from the Middle East. One of the key factors that have restricted this from happening is the lack of support for the oil and gas industry from the current administration.
Regulations on off shore drilling and the lack of refineries being built have all been burdens on the industry and country. I don’t think anyone is amused when they have to pay over $3.00 a gallon at the gas pump. A key aspect that could help change this is the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The pipelines job will be to transport heavy oil from the tar sands of Canada down to the refineries of South East Texas. The only section of the pipeline not complete is “phase 4.” This section runs from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska.
This section of the pipeline has run into a lot of controversy from landowners and farmers. The pipeline cannot be completed until it has presidential approval. The implementation of the pipeline can play a large roll in decreasing the amount of foreign oil and gas brought into the United States. Oil and gas have supported the United states for the last 100 years and can continue to do so for a 100 more, but it does us no good if there is no way to economically transport it to the refineries.
--Garrett Grimes